World’s Biggest Underwater Cave Found In Mexico?

Scientist believe they have found the world’s biggest underwater cave in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.

According to Reuters, a team of scientists from The Gran Acuifero Maya (GAM) project have found a connection between two caves that creates the world largest underwater cave.

The first cave system, Sac Actun, which was measured at 263km/163 miles in length, has a link to the Dos Ojos Cave which was measured at 83km/ 51.5 miles. With this discovery, the Sac Actun absorbs the Dos Ojos and becomes the largest cave system in the world, measuring an astonishing 347km/216 miles!

The cenotes in the Yucatan have played an important part in Mayan civilisation, with several individual cenotes acquiring special religious status. According to Guillermo de Anda,GAM director and underwater archaeologist:

“It [the Discovery] allows us to appreciate much more clearly how the rituals, the pilgrimage sites and ultimately the great pre-Hispanic settlements that we know emerged.”

Hopefully the discovery will further our knowledge of the ancient Mayan civilisation, and lead to even more great discoveries.

You can check out a video of the exploration below.

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Sam Helmy is a TDI/SDI Instructor Trainer, and PADI Staff and Trimix Instructor. Diving for 28 years, a dive pro for 14, I have traveled extensively chasing my passion for diving. I am passionate about everything diving, with a keen interest in exploration, Sharks and big stuff, Photography and Decompression theory. Diving is definitely the one and only passion that has stayed with me my whole life!